A young girl had a terrifying experience on Tuesday after falling under a stationary train in Beijing, while her mother was looking at her mobile phone, a local newspaper reported.

The youngster, who was not identified but based on images taken from security footage appeared to be about four or five years old, was with her mother at Beijing Railway Station when the incident happened, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Wednesday.

As the child was trying to board the train bound for Dalian in northeast China’s Liaoning province, she fell into the gap between the platform and the train.

After falling, station workers and the child’s mother – who did not see the child slip as she was looking at her cellphone at the time – ran to help.

After checking the child was OK, a member of staff told her to move back from the door area so he could remove a panel from the side of the train to free her. He then climbed under the carriage and pulled the girl to safety.

Footage of the incident showed the youngster was clearly shaken up by her experience but apart from a bump to the head was unhurt, the report said.

Some people online were quick to criticise the mother for being inattentive.

“It’s not the first time I have read this kind of news,” someone wrote. “I think these parents are more interested in playing with their mobile phones than tending to their kids.”

In July, a one-year-old child drowned at a swimming pool after his mother failed to notice he had fallen into the water while she was looking at her phone.